Graduate Resident Assistant Advisor

General Overview

Resident Assistants (RAs) at Lasell University are integral members of the Residential Life staff. RAs promote and support a safe and healthy residential environment that is supportive of students’ personal and academic growth. RAs act as community developers, supporters of the academic and departmental mission statement, community standards educators, peer advisors, role models, team members, housing and facilities liaisons, and administrators, while remaining in good academic standing at Lasell University.

It is expected that students serving as Resident Assistants will place their RA position second only to their academic obligations and responsibilities.  RAs are encouraged to maintain interests and activities outside of their role within the Department of Residential Life, utilizing strong time management skills effectively. Outside employment and extra-curricular activities should not detract from a student’s effectiveness and/or availability in the RA position.

For an academic year, the Resident Assistant position averages 5 hours per week in Graduate and Professional Studies and 10 – 15 hours a week in Residential Life. However, there will be periods of time when staffing demands may be greater. These include, but are not limited to: RA training, opening of residence halls, closing of residence halls, special activities, campus crises, etc. All Residential Life staff are expected to be available and respond as needed.

The position starts . 

Eligibility

The Graduate Resident Assistant is required to be a full-time Lasell University student in good academic and conduct standing with the University. The GRA is required to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average – for each semester and overall - for the duration of their employment. Failure to maintain the above-mentioned GPA standards may result in performance probation and/or dismissal from the Graduate Resident Advisor position. The GRA may also be expected to be the last student to depart campus and the first student to return to campus before and after breaks to assist with a variety of housing operations.

Responsibilities

Administrative

1. Attend weekly RA/GRA staff meetings and bi-weekly one-on-one supervisory meetings with your Area Coordinator.
2. Participate in the formal RA/GRA evaluation process
3. Perform a variety of additional administrative tasks including, but not limited to: Room Condition Reports; maintenance requests; key distribution and collection; program planning, implementation, and evaluation; and regular building walk-throughs.
4. Proper use and management of building master keys in accordance with Residential Life policies. If the GRA loses a master key they are subject to billing for replacement keys, as well as employment termination.
5. Give daily tours Monday-Friday for prospective Graduate students. Tours will showcase the campus and resources for Graduate students and the GRA will provide excellent customer service before, during, and after each tour.
6. Perform additional duties as assigned.

Community Development

1. Develop a rapport with the individual residents on their floors/in their houses.
2. Serve as a positive role model for the members of the greater Lasell University community.
3. Plan and implement programs each semester for their residents; The GRA will consult with their supervisors to sponsor a varied, series of educational and /or social programs, trips and workshops based on the RA/GRA Programming Model.
4. Attend and actively participate in designated all-campus educational and/or social programs, including (but not limited to): GPS Open House Nights, GPS Orientation, Welcome Week, Family, Friends & Alumni Weekend, River Day, Marathon Monday and Founder’s Day.

Resource and Referral

1. Advise residents regarding personal, academic, social and emotional issues; The GRA will make appropriate referrals and will be respectful of, and maintain, privacy.
2. Maintain communication with residents through personal contact, by conducting regular floor/house meetings, posting announcements and flyers, and updating bulletin boards and door tags in compliance with the RA Programming Model.
3. Serve as the initial point of contact for residents regarding concerns, and mediate in situations where appropriate; The GRA will be aware of and use the many referral channels on campus and in the greater community.
4. Serve as liaisons between residents and the Office of Residential Life, as well as with faculty, staff and administrators.

Availability

1. The GRA is expected to be among the last students to depart campus and the first students to return to campus to assist with the opening and closing of their residence halls at the beginning and end of each semester. Possibly including Thanksgiving and Spring Break periods.
2. Serve as a presence in their residential communities and to be regularly available to their residents, especially during evening hours.
3. The GRA is expected to be present in their area to act as a constant resource for residents. The GRA must request permission, in advance, from their Area Coordinator to be away from campus for extended periods of time.
4. The GRA will be available 1 hour a day Monday – Friday to give tours to prospective students. Tour times may vary each day and will be coordinated with the GPS department to accommodate prospective students.
5. The Graduate Resident Advisor will carefully balance outside interests and activities in order to devote appropriate time to the GRA position. The GRA will place their GRA position second only to their academic obligations and responsibilities.

Duty & Policy Enforcement

1. The GRA is required to serve as part of an on-duty system on a rotating basis with other members of their hall or area staff. GRA are on duty seven nights a week, from 8:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. the next day.
   • By 8:00 pm, when duty begins, each GRA must be in their designated duty hut and be ready to receive a call from the AC on duty.
   • RA /GRA duty cell phones are to be used for professional use only to contact the AC on Duty and RAs on Duty. All emergency calls must first be made to Campus Police and then the AC on Duty. All non-emergency calls must first be made to the AC on Duty, and then to Campus Police if necessary.
   • When GRA is not on rounds, they are expected to be in their duty huts, or in their duty area. When active duty ends, GRA is expected to be available from their room to respond to any incidents or lockouts until 8:00 am the following day.
   • Active duty will begin each night at 8:00 pm and end at 12:00 am Sunday-Wednesday, 2:00 am Thursday, and 1:00 am Friday and Saturday.
   • While serving on-duty RAs/GRA may not have other on-campus responsibilities, including but not limited to: athletic events, social events, and club meetings, as being on-duty must be first priority.
2. Document situations and file incident reports; follow-up is expected with professional staff members in Residential Life or Student Affairs.
3. Understand and adhere to all Lasell University policies and Residential Life policies; The GRA must help to educate residents about policies and assist in the enforcement of those policies; The GRA should work to help residents understand their rights and responsibilities as members of the Lasell community.
4. Assist in the handling of emergency situations according to prescribed protocols, including knowing when appropriate to make referrals.

Training

1. Attend the RA Training & Education program tentatively scheduled for the following dates: August 22- September 4, 2023, and January 11-16, 2024.
2. Attend and participate in other designated training workshops for RAs throughout the academic year, including monthly in-service sessions, as determined by the Residential Life Staff.
3. Attend GPS tour guide training in fall 2023.

Compensation

The GRA compensation package for the 2023-24 academic year currently consists of two parts.

1. The GRA will receive free tuition for up to 9 credits per semester.
2. The GRA will be assigned to a single room and will only be assessed the regular-single room charge. All other fees including board, health insurance, student fees, etc. will be the responsibility of the GRA